Argentine “full-time” 1978 World football champ Luis Galván dies, aged 77 Argentine “full-time” 1978 World Cup-winning defender Luis Adolfo Galván died Monday at the age of 77 due to bilateral pneumonia and kidney failure, just one year after that team's coach, César Luis Menotti. Since Menotti chose to number them in alphabetical order, Luis Galván donned the “7” jersey. He was in the starting lineup for all seven of Argentina's matches and was never substituted throughout the tournament, a record he shared only with Ubaldo Fillol (Goalkeeper - #5), Daniel Passarella (Defender, captain, #19), Alberto Tarantini (Defender, #20), and Mario Kempes (Forward, top scorer, #10). Luis Galván is not to be mistaken for Rubén Galván, a midfielder assigned the #8 shirt on the roster, who also lifted the trophy but never came onto the pitch in the event or even sat on the substitutes' bench. He died in 2018 of cirrhosis. As an Independiente player, however, Rubén Galván also won the Copa Libertadores in 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1975, as well as the 1973 Intercontinental Cup. The two Galváns were unrelated. An icon at Talleres de Córdoba, Luis Galván played 503 games as a professional for that team. His club career also included Belgrano, Loma Negra, Central Norte, and Bolívar. Talleres mourned his loss Monday, highlighting his leadership, humility, and legacy in Argentine football. “Farewell Luis. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Luis Adolfo Galván, an emblem of the Club and World Champion of the Argentine National Team in 1978. We accompany his family and loved ones at this time, and we raise our prayers for the eternal rest of his soul,” Talleres de Córdoba said in a statement. “Born on February 24, 1948, in Fernandez, Santiago del Estero, Luis arrived at Talleres in 1970 and quickly became a central figure in the team. For 17 years, 12 of them consecutively, he defended our jersey like few others, playing a total of 503 games, making him the player with the most appearances in the club's history,” the Cordoba club also recalled. “His leadership and soccer quality were fundamental for Talleres to reach outstanding achievements, such as the runner-up in the 1977 National Championship and multiple titles in the Cordoba Soccer League,” added Talleres. “His exceptional performance led him to be called up by César Luis Menotti to integrate the Argentine National Team that conquered the World Cup in 1978, being a starter in all the matches of the tournament and qualified with 10 points in the final,” Talleres also pointed out. “After his retirement as a player, Luis continued to be closely linked to our institution. For more than two decades, he served as director of Talleres' football schools, working in the lower divisions and in women's soccer. His commitment and dedication were fundamental in the formation of new generations of soccer players,” the club went on. “Luis Galvan was not only a reference on the field, but also an example of humility, effort, and love for the colors of Talleres. His legacy will live on in the memory of all those who are part of our institution and of Argentine football,” Talleres further noted. A native of Fernández, Santiago del Estero, Galván's health deteriorated recently due to kidney failure. With his passing, he joined the list of deceased World Champions René Houseman, Leopoldo Luque, and Rubén Galván (1978), as well as Diego Maradona, José Luis Cuciuffo, and José Luis Tata Brown (1986).